Stalker (1994)
Stalker has the distinction of being one of the Joes to see both the beginning and end of the Real American Hero line. The line really looked like it was heading back to its military beginnings with some of the 1994 offerings. Over the course of the RAH run, Stalker has had two types of looks: the beret-wearing Ranger and the cap wearing Ranger. His original camouflage garbed figure is certainly his most distinctive and well-known look, but his other versions have also had an appeal to me as well.
This Stalker, from the final RAH year’s Battle Corps series, presents another Stalker for all seasons. His previous two iterations were more situationally specific, one being a cold weather outfit (ridiculously worn in all sorts of weather in both cartoon and comic) and the other an odd, almost dress uniform as a Super Sonic Fighter. So with this figure, Stalker gets a bit of a return to an all-purpose uniform. Although the familiar camo is missing, the all-black outfit is quite versatile.
Sculpt-wise the figure suffers a bit from a torso that’s very bulky. The sides are so wide that the figure cannot be posed with his arms down; they are constantly sticking out to the sides, making him look like he’s trying to dry out his pits. The figure also is a victim of limited paint apps, and even has variations both without yellow trim and the inside of his holster strap unpainted. Even the bottom of his neck, with sculpted shirt, is left in his flesh color. Though I like this figure, it was kind of sad way to see the line end so sloppily back in the day.
Looking at both versions, I prefer the one without yellow highlights. The black and green work great on their own even though his other paint apps are missing. That neon yellow upsets the whole balance, however. Too bad he never wore this suit in the comics instead of his arctic gear.
I’d get two of the black variant, one for the purpose of filling in those paint details. Besides the shirt collar, the watch needs some paint (a mistake that was repeated on the repaint known as Sidetrack II). I’d also try and match that green to paint a few details on the chest.
Great mold!
A minor correction: Stalker wasn’t part of the Super Sonic Fighters. The figure in question would be the Talking Battle Commander Stalker. The part about that particular figure being odd is correct, especially the cream-colored pants with camo.
I found this figure in the mid 90’s and really appreciated him in relation to the other figures available on the shelves. The mold certainly has limitations. But, this is still my second favorite version of Stalker behind the ’97 figure.
I love this Stalker figure. I agree that he has some bulkyness to his torso, and the paint app does nothing to accentuate the cool details in the mold.
This as an indication of what GI Joe was moving towards breaks my heart thinking about what was to come.